Through a Prince's Eyes

by DiscordFan

4: Traveling

Dark. Cold.

Prince Sundown Shifter and an army of 5,000 changelings trudged through the snow towards the Crystal Mountains. A small tribe of 500 changelings were waiting for them in an unfinished base within the Mountains.

Also, two out of the Queen's five advisors had come along: Bending Loyalty and Morphing Charity.

Bending Loyalty had come along to keep the drones in shape and to study the magic of the cold, so she may make the armor resistant to it.

Morphing Charity came for similar reasons. She had come to keep the harvesters from going back to whores and to study shadow magic. (Not dark magic. More will be explained later.)

Sundown Shifter checked in with Bending Loyalty, who was making sure all changeling wouldn't get riled up.

Aunt Loyalty. How are the changelings holding up?

We're doin' good. Drones are mingling peacefully with the harvesters. I haven't heard any complaints on lack of love. Nothing else currently to report.

Thank you, Aunt Loyalty.

Sundown Shifter continued trudging forward through the cold blizzard. He shivered slightly. Stupid bug traits, he thought to himself.

Morphing Charity, report how much farther we must go to reach the Mountains.

From your coordinates, 228 meters.

Thank you, Aunt Charity.

Not much more, Cerulean. Not much more, he told himself.

[][][][][]

They had reached the unfinished base safely.

All 500 drones were working hard to finish, and the 500 that had come with Sundown were now working as well.

Prince Sundown Shifter, are you near the Cyrstal Base 1?

Actually, we have arrived safely. Not a single changeling complained and/or rivaled on our journey.

This is pleasing news. Thank you, Prince.

Sundown Shifter sighed. There were still many preparations to make...

And he was in charge of them all. He sighed again. At the moment, he felt like he had responsibilities over responsibilities over responsibilities!

"Most High Prince," a harvester said bowing. She had a hot pink mane and tail with a pair of lighter pink wings.

"Yes," Sundown responded. "Speak, harvester."

"The Queen's, Her advisors', and your chambers are ready to be occupied," she said, still bowing.

"Please, rise," Sundown commanded. He use to be one of them. He didn't like them bowing. It made him feel... different.

The changeling harvester rose and opened her, revealing normal pony eyes.

Sundown leaned backwards. "Wha..?"

"Oh," the harvester exclaimed. "I suppose I should explain."

But before she could, Sundown Shifter raised his front left hoof. "In a more private area. Something tells me your story is very strange, and it shouldn't be public."

She nodded in reply.

[][][][][]

Sundown closed the door to his chamber with the strange harvester sitting in a bean-bag (Sundown loves bean-bags.

He sat down in the second bean-bag.

Wait... I should probably describe the room first...

His chamber had the black, cave walls. He had a black queen-sized bed with a cerulean blanket and neon orange sheets. There were two bean-bags. The first one, currently holding the harvester, was neon orange, and the second one, currently holding Sundown, was orchid-purple. The both were on top of a cerulean circle rug with a black fringe. On the far wall, a magic window portal showed static, but above it, a plaque read 'Communication with Ponyville Base 1.'

Sundown Shifter lit up his horn to detect any spells anywhere within the chamber, and there was one. It was the Change spell.

Sundown narrowed his eyes at the harvester. "Release your disguise," he commanded.

The harvester sighed, and then she let flames lick her body. Her true form was white. Her mane and tail were longer and had a light blue stripe. Her eyes remained the same, but her eyelashes had a butterfly effect now. Her hooves had holes, and her horn was a unicorn horn with holes. She had no carapace, and at the base of her insectoid wings were a few feathers.

Sundown Shifter blinked. "Wha-what?! What are you?!"

The changeling-pony-hybrid harvester sighed. She flared her wings and announced, "I am Princess Heart Shield." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Daughter of the rulers of the Crystal Empire..." She opened her eyes. "Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

Sundown Shifter blacked out.

"Uh-oh," Heart Shield whispered. "This... This is bad." She scanned the room, bored.

Then a thought popped into her head.

"Ha! Wait 'til he hears my story!" She clutched her stomach and continued laughing. Suddenly, she stopped. "He'll probably think I'm lying." She sighed.

[][][][][]

Queen Shimmering Dusk was laying eggs at the moment. Advisor Shifting Kindly and Laughing Flip-Flop were doing the same. Every day, each usually laid 100 eggs.

Dusk heaved and huff. She was going over her limit. She had already laid over 400 eggs. A changeling queen was not made for such labor.

Oh wow... I didn't mean for that pun. Continuing...

"Um, my Queen," Shifting Kindly said, "I don't think you should lay any more eggs."

"No," Dusk panted. "We... Need... More changelings... We... Must... Keep... Laying them!" Dusk pushed, but then she cried out in pain.

Laughing Flip-Flop screamed, "Dusk!"

Green blood began flowing out of Shimmering Dusk's behind. (Royal changelings' blood is green.)

"Guards! Guards!? Get in the egg-nursery now! It's the Queen!"

Several drone guards rushed into the room and immediately spotted the blood. The commander quickly levitated Dusk onto his back.

"O-oh my," Shifting Kindly whispered when she saw the blood start to flow quicker.

"Geez, DiscordFan! What's with this dramatic plot-twist?! You better make her okay," Laughing Flip-Flop hissed.

... I can't make any promises.

"God dammit, DiscordFan!"

"Um, Laughing," Kindly said, worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! No... I don't know! Our Queen and best friend received a serious injury! What do you think!?"

"... I don't know either..."

Comments

[DT42]

Your back!
Great chapter!

[DiscordFan]

5832879

Thx!

What's gonna happen to Dusk..? Dun... Dun... Du na na na naaaaa!!!!

[Darkus Relling]

If my best friend were hurt because of some omnipotent author, I'd probably lose my sh** too.

[DiscordFan]

5871860

Plus, Pinkie is Pinkie. Or in this case, Laughing is Laughing.